Birmingham Municipal Bank's hidden history revealed in new exhibition
The free exhibition at The Exchange explores the stories of the people who used and worked at the former Birmingham Municipal Bank
A new free exhibition is offering visitors a chance to explore the hidden history of Birmingham Municipal Bank, now home to the University of Birmingham's city centre hub, The Exchange.
Unlocking the Vaults runs at the Grade II-listed building until November 7, and forms part of Birmingham Heritage Week, which runs from September 11 to 20.
The exhibition is based in the building's former safe deposit facility, which contained more than 4,000 boxes, and brings together archives, objects, photographs and first-hand accounts charting the bank's impact on generations of Birmingham residents.
The project draws on two years of research and more than a century of local history, with contributions from former employees, customers, community groups and volunteer citizen historians.
Among the stories featured is an account of film and television star Joan Collins visiting the bank to cash a cheque, prompting staff to clear the banking hall.
The exhibition also explores how the bank helped customers adjust to decimal currency, including producing a shopping guide showing conversions from old currency to new.
Another story comes from Birmingham's South Asian community, whose members regularly used the bank's safe deposit boxes to store gold and jewellery. One contributor recalls travelling to the Broad Street premises in wedding clothes to collect jewellery before a wedding, returning it to the bank afterwards.
The exhibition also features contemporary photography created through community collaborations, as well as Thrift Radiates Happiness, a photography project developed with photographer Jo Gane and local community groups.
Jane McArdle, who led the project, said: "Unlocking the Vaults has been a truly special journey working with community members to uncover and share the personal histories surrounding the Birmingham Municipal Bank.
"By unearthing the stories of this unique institution, we've been able to shine a brand-new light on Birmingham's history."
The former Birmingham Municipal Bank building was bought by the University of Birmingham in 2018 after being without a permanent tenant for almost two decades. The Exchange opened in 2021 as the university's civic city centre hub.
The exhibition is free to visit and is accompanied by a public talk, The People's Bank, in which Dr Justine Pick, honorary research fellow in the university's Department of History, will explore the bank's origins as Britain's only municipal savings bank.
Other Birmingham Heritage Week events hosted by the university include a guided walk of Metchley Roman Fort, family workshops at The Exchange and walking tours of the university campus, heritage buildings and city centre.